The present invention relates generally to adducted polyalkyleneamine compounds, curing agent and amine-epoxy compositions derived from such compounds, and articles produced from such compounds and/or compositions.
Epoxy resins which are cured, hardened, and/or crosslinked with amine-based curing agents are well known. These amine-epoxy materials are widely used in applications ranging from coatings, adhesives, and composites, to civil engineering applications such as formulations for concrete flooring, self-leveling flooring and grouts.
Numerous waterborne (WB) epoxy resin curing agents have been developed over the past few decades. Such curing agents can eliminate or reduce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) due to the presence of solvent in epoxy resin and hardener formulations, and the odor and environmental and health risks associated with the presence of such solvents. Many waterborne epoxy systems are also lower in viscosity than other epoxy systems, particularly 100% solids or solvent-free systems, and thus easier to apply and have level into a smooth film or layer after application.
In certain applications, it is desirable to formulate a waterborne curing agent to relatively low solids, for example, less than 40% solids, by dilution with water. Many aqueous curing agent compositions, unfortunately, cannot be diluted without causing phase separation of the formulation, which is evidenced by cloudiness in an otherwise clear formulation. Such phase separation is undesirable as it can lead to instability of the curing agent formulation during storage. In some cases, this problem can be addressed by diluting with water at the job site and only shortly before mixing the curing agent with the epoxy resin for use. In contrast to formulating a particular solids content in a controlled manufacturing environment, job-site formulating can lead to inconsistent blends and the introduction of contaminants, which can cause performance problems in the end-use application. Another method to improve the stability of the waterborne product is to add an acid, such as a carboxylic acid. Typically, this approach adversely affects the water and chemical resistance properties of the final cured product.
It is often difficult to clean equipment used for mixing and applying WB epoxy systems or tile grouts, and the use of surfactants and detergents or solvents must often be employed for satisfactory cleaning. Once the tile grout has been applied, it is advantageous to be able to clean these systems from the tiles with water alone or with a slightly acidic water solution.